Simon Balle All-Through School

Inspection report for early years provision

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140294 Unique Reference Number 13 March 2008 Inspection date Ann Doreen Burford Inspector

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Childcare Type of inspection Childminding Type of care

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This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

The quality and standards of the care are satisfactory. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder has been childminding since 1994. She is registered to care for four children under eight years old. Of these no more than two may be under five years and no more than one may be under one year at any one time. She is at present caring for one child aged 18 months. As there are no children present at the time of the inspection, the quality of the provision cannot be judged better than satisfactory because there is no reliable evidence on which to assess its impact on children.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The premises is situated in the residential area of Green Lanes. The childminder lives there with her two adult children and a parent in-law.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The ground floor kitchen/dining area and side extension area are used for minded children's play, rear lounge for sleep and there is an enclosed garden for outdoor play.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. The childminder promotes children’s good health, by ensuring that positive steps are taken to prevent the spread of infection and appropriate measures are put in place when children are ill. All the rooms used by minded children are clean and tidy. She has systems in place to gather information from parents regarding medical needs, dietary requirements and allergies. She describes how children would learn about their personal hygiene through normal daily routines such as hand washing and nappy changing. There is a toilet on the ground floor and a towel and liquid soap are available to promote good hygiene routines.

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Helping children to be healthy

The childminder ensures that food and drink for children is adequate and complies with dietary and religious requirements. Parents usually provide all the food and drinks for children so the childminder demonstrates a sound understanding of how to store the packed lunches safely. Food preparation areas are well organised and managed to minimise the risks of cross-contamination or other hazards associated with food preparation.

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Helping children to be healthy

A travel cot is available for young children to sleep according to their needs. The childminder places the travel cot in a small room downstairs so she can easily observe the children when sleeping. She organises her day according to the needs of the children. For example she collects toddlers from the local pre-school and they can have a sleep in the pushchair on the way home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. The childminder demonstrates an awareness of how to ensure the environment is made welcoming to children. She sets out a choice of toys that interest the child who is attending. The premises are mostly safe, secure and include the necessary facilities for children. Play takes place in the dining area of the kitchen and the adjacent annexe. There is a small room off the hallway which is used for children to have a sleep.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The furniture, equipment and toys are safe and appropriate for the needs of children. Additional storage boxes containing a range of toys suitable for different age groups is kept in the annexe off the kitchen. The childminder checks the toys for safety and regularly cleans them. Resources to aid the care of babies is in place for example a changing mat and a travel cot with separate bedding.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder understands how to promote children’s safety and take precautions to prevent accidents. Some rooms are made inaccessible to minded children to ensure they only use rooms which have safety equipment in place. The childminder has taken action to ensure risks inside her home have been minimised so that children can play safely. However, there is some building material in the back garden which is hazardous if children play in the back garden.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder has an acceptable knowledge of child protection procedures approved by the Local Safeguarding Children Board, and is aware of their responsibility to protect the welfare of the child. She has guidance to use as a reference.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. The childminder has an adequate knowledge of how individual children, develop and learn. She talks about encouraging children's language through sharing stories with children. She has a range of bilingual books to support children who have English as an additional language. She also provides a range of drawing and painting activities to promote children's creative skills. The childminder particularly likes to encourage role play with a range of suitable equipment so children learn about household tasks. The childminder regularly takes children for walks and to local facilities such as the park and a toddler group.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Play resources are organised by age range in large plastic containers. These are then made available dependant on the age of the children present. Imaginative use of resources enables the childminder to provide interesting activities for example she has saved yoghurt pots so she can build with the children. The childminder does not plan activities that promote the outcomes for children and does not currently use the ‘Birth to three matters’ framework.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. The childminder presents as a caring thoughtful person who realises how important the care of children is especially how they are supported. She has an appropriate knowledge and awareness of the importance of treating each child with equal respect and concern. There are some resources reflecting the multi-cultural society we live in.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder is aware that some children may have learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and understands the importance of working in partnership with parents and with other professionals to promote the welfare and development of the child.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder shows a sound knowledge of behaviour management, giving acceptable examples of how she would approach a variety of situations for children of different ages. She shows a willingness and commitment to working with parents to manage children’s behaviour in a consistent way which promotes the child’s welfare and development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder has a satisfactory understanding of the need to develop a strong partnership with parents, taking into account their differing needs. Parents say minded children are treated as part of the family which means children are usually settled and happy to separate from parent because they are well cared for. The children's routine is agreed and the childminder compliments the care provided by other childcare provision to meet the requirements of the family. The childminder has not informed parents how they may make a complaint to the regulatory body. This impedes their ability to raise concerns about the care of their child.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The childminder is aware of the duty to ensure that other people living or working on the premises are suitable to be in contact with children. She ensures all adults living on the premises have been vetted. She seeks some help from other child carers such as parents of minded children with childcare qualifications.

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Organisation

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 The childminder understands the importance of working within the constraints of the condition of registration relating to number of children and is currently minding one child who was not present during the inspection. She organises space and resources to best meet the needs of the children.

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Organisation

The childminder has a sound awareness of the records to be kept and the importance of these. She has a file with all record keeping and documentation which is well organised. Individual contracts are developed with parents taking the lead on its design. Children's own individual details such as likes and dislikes are included so children can settle quickly.

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Organisation

Overall, evidence suggests that the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider agreed to develop her awareness of the signs and symptoms of abuse. She has the Local Safeguarding Children Board guidance and is on a waiting list to attend training. She also agreed to ensure all adults living on the premises are vetted. She was also asked to make the rug in the kitchen safe. This has been replaced with a rug with non-slip backing. These improvements have improved the safety for children.

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Improvements since the last inspection

In addition the childminder was asked to increase the range of toys for children aged over five years and to broaden the range of toys to promote diversity. She was also asked to increase the toys for outdoor play. In response to these requests the childminder has developed storage boxes of toys and creative resources for older children. There are some outdoor toys such as a bike and balls. There are jigsaws, dolls and books which could support children's understanding of the wider world. This means there is now an adequate range of toys and resources available to promote children's enjoyment and achievement.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards.

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Complaints since the last inspection

The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by the parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

The quality and standards of the care are satisfactory. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure all hazardous material in the back garden is inaccessible to children

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 • improve outcomes for children from birth to three by using an approach in line with ‘Birth to three matters’ framework • develop a complaints procedure that includes how to contact the regulatory body and share the procedure with parents.

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The quality and standards of the care

set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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